Torn From Within
by angelcarstairs4679
Summary: When a group of ninja were MIA, Kakashi and his team were sent to investigate. Things took a turn for the worse when he gets injured and Rin was forced to do an emergency transplant from one of the dead enemy ninja. Will this change his life forever for better or for worst? Au where Obito, Rin, Minato and Kushina are alive.
1. The Change

**Just a random idea I had before going to bed. Always wanted to do a Naruto crossover with something else and I thought hey, why not? This is an au where Rin and Obito are still alive and Minato is Hokage. Makes things a little more fun. I don't own the characters.**

The rain fell around them as they made a mad dash through the forest. The ninja turned behind them, their eyes wide with fear as they ran for their lives. These were not normal enemies, no, were they even human to begin with? They saw them tearing the flesh off the bones of their fallen comrades and without thinking they ran without bothering to accomplish the mission. They needed to get out of there. They had to….

"Come on, just be good and stay down. I'm getting hungry dammit," one of the enemy sneered as they released something from behind them. One of the ninja screamed as they were wrapped in some red tentacle and dragged behind, their screams filling the air as the sound of ripping limbs followed. Not caring if their friend was dead, which was highly likely, the rest made a run for it as one by one they were picked off until one was left. As he was cornered, he could only pray to Kami that he would go to the pure land as he felt himself getting eaten alive.

…

"What do you make of this report, Kakashi?" the Hokage asked as he thrust the folder to the younger ninja. He sighed as he picked it up and picked through the paper, trying to make sense of the report. The Hokage wouldn't have called him to his office unless it was something major such as Naruto causing trouble somewhere in the village which happened on a daily basis. Minato was glad that at least Kakashi was able to control that son of his.

"Sensei, just what is this?" Kakashi asked as he handed the folder back. It didn't make a lick of sense. Torn body parts. Blood everywhere. That was normal enough but why in the world leave certain parts lying around. And not to mention they had been torn off like an animal eating its meat. He never heard of anyone who had resorted to cannibalism and it made his skin crawl.

"I'm assigning you to a team to investigate what happened. The team had gone missing after they were sent to investigate a certain village but they never made it back. Now at least we know what happened to them in a way," Minato said as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Here are your teammates. You leave at sunset at the north gate," Minato said as Kakashi flicked through the file. He smiled as he thought of how he was going to be reunited with his old team.

"Yo Kakashi! How have you been?" Obito smiled as he patted his friend on the back. Rin gave him a hug before drawing to Obito, who pecked her on the two of them may be married but they were still lovey dovey all the time as if to make a point to Kakashi that Rin was off limits. "Come on, knock it out. We have a mission to go for," Kakashi said as Obito grinned.

"Yeah yeah, leader. Lead the way," he said. He may be Anbu but that guy didn't act as though he was one and was so lax that Kakashi had to tell him off so many times. He couldn't understand how Rin was the only one who managed to knock some sense into the other guy but yet again, what to do? "Let's go," Kakashi said as they began to sprint, their arms flying behind them as they dashed into the woods.

The sun was beginning to set and Kakashi swore at how they had to travel at night. With the report he had received, it would be the worse idea to deal with the enemy at night since it would make it hard to see them coming. "Maybe we should stay for the night," Obito suggested as they saw an inn coming in the distance. Preferring to wait it out than to dash into the situation, Kakashi relented and the three of them soon found themselves eating pretty well despite having a really weird creepy mission ahead of them.

"So we have to find out who these people are eh? Other than they eat humans we suppose, there isn't much of a clue eh?" Obito said as Rin elbowed him. "Come on, don't talk about it when we're eating," she groaned as her appetite died. Obito couldn't care less as he dug into his food. They may be ninja and they have seen blood and dead bodies more times than they could count but the thought of people eating other people just made Kakashi want to rench.

"Come on. We leave at first light. And don't try any funny business. I'll be in the same room with you guys," Kakashi said as Obito slung an arm around Rin. "Come on. Its not like I can't make out with my own wife," he grinned as Kakashi felt like throwing sake in his face. It had been a while since he saw them since they were all busy with life and missions and he was glad he got to spend some time with them. At least he had people he trusted on this mission.

Kakashi didn't sleep throughout the night, somewhat thinking of people ripping into him while he was still breathing and he woke up coated in sweat as he tried not to puke. He managed to down his breakfast before they set off again, the air cool as they made their way deeper into the mountains. "Shit its getting colder…" Obito muttered as he rubbed his hands. He scanned the area despite his arguing, his Sharingan trying to pick out any enemies.

They soon arrived at the scene but they didn't stop and continued to venture further into enemy ground. Kakashi never felt this nervous before or jumpy. He would rather go for a Ninja War then face off these mysterious enemies. "Look out!" Obito yelled as something emerged from the trees. He barely managed to duck as it sliced through the tree, letting it slide to the ground as the team regrouped.

"See them?" Kakashi demanded as Obito did a headcount. "There's a few of them but nothing we can handle. Cover me," he said as he dashed into the trees. "Come on, Obito…" Kakashi sighed as he did the hand signs for his jutsu. "Great fireball jutsu!" he shouted as the ball shot through the trees, burning them to the ground. He proceeded to perform the signs for Chidori before dashing after Obito, Rin covering the rear as they ran.

"What sort of jutsu is this?" Obito yelled as a red tentacle threatened to behead him several times. He was bleeding in certain places and he looked ready to explode. "Chidori!" Kakashi yelled as he slammed his fist through the tentacle. The wielder howled as it fell to the ground with a splat. "Impossible. Nothing can cut through it!" she yelled as Kakashi approached him.

"What the hell are you people?" he snarled as the person chuckled. "Oh isn't it Cold-blooded Kakashi. Oh this has become so much more fun! I'm going to enjoy every moment of this until I get to rip into you!" the person shrieked as they made a dash towards him. The nimbleness and the way they moved told Kakashi that they were female and he wasn't about to make out with a person who wanted to tear him from limb to limb in a literal sense.

"Kakashi!" Obito yelled as he produced one of his swords and cut into the other enemies. He and Rin were completely cut off from him and Kakashi could feel the bile rise in his throat as he fought the crazed woman. She had four tentacles protruding from her back and she cackled as they struck at him over and over. He hadn't gotten any major wounds yet but he didn't know when he would luck out.

 _Why was he so nervous? He had gotten through worse situations that this so why was he so scared? He had killed so may people before with ease but what's making this one so difficult?_ He cried out as he felt something pierce through his abdomen and lift him through the air before slamming him into a tree. As he coughed, he felt something dig through him, making him scream with anguish as the woman laughed.

"Ah your blood tastes so good! You will make such a good meal!" she laughed as one of the tentacles dug into his flesh, scrambling his insides. He couldn't help but scream as he tried to perform the hand signs for Chidori. He cried out as he tore through the tentacles, running with all his might despite the pain before driving it through her heart. The woman gasped as he yanked her heart out and she crashed to the ground, blood pooling all around her as she smiled.

"Now. Let's see what happens, shall we, Kakashi-san?" she whispered as she died. Kakashi didn't bother to think as he collapsed on his back, the pain so excruciating he thought he was going to die. Well, he might be well on the way to heaven now… "Holy shit. Kakashi!" Obito yelled as he and Rin dashed over. Kakashi's mind was in a blurr, his mind slipping in and out of consciousness as he felt himself bleed away.

"This is really bad," Rin muttered as she checked for his wounds. She gasped as she realized just how intense the damage was when she spotted the dead woman lying at the side. "Bring that woman here, quick!" Rin ordered as Obito looked at her. "What?!" he blurted as she scowled. "Unless you want Kakashi to die, bring her here. I need to do a transplant," she commanded and Obito didn't think twice as he made a dash for the corpse.

"Rin… don't… get out of here… don't put whats in that thing into me…" he whispered as she gripped his hand. "Shut up and be quiet. I'll get you patched up soon," she said as she began to cut. He didn't have to strength to scream and he was grateful that he was beginning to lose consciousness. "Help me hold this," Rin told Obito as he complained about holding onto trashed innards. The last thing Kakashi remembered was falling into a deep sleep.

 _He was floating in a dark place. He wanted to scream but couldn't. Was he dead? Yeah he could be dead… but something told him he wasn't… there was something waiting to crawl from within him.. something sinister.. the hunger…. It was so intense. Kakashi clawed at his throat, wanting to quench it so badly that he thought he would die if he didn't. No… something is very wrong… what was it? What was it?_ He felt his mind come back to reality and when he opened his eyes, he felt something stir within him.

 **Hope you guys liked it!**

 **Comments are** **highly appreciated and welcomed!**


	2. Entering Hell

**I just ate but I felt like writing this. Hopefully I don't puke.. haha. I don't own the characters. Shoutout to those who reviews the previous chapter! That gave me the inspiration to write this one so thanks!**

 **Also I kind of feel that writing this story it should make a bit more sense for Kakashi to feel the fear of one slowly turning into something else since he is human and naturally anyone would be spooked out if this happen to them no matter how powerful they may be. Just trying to be realistic.**

 **I don't own the characters.**

The hunger was driving him up the wall and he had no way of getting rid of it. Kakashi stared at the bowl of ramen on the table and the very smell of it made his stomach roll. What in the world was going on? He never hated the sight of food before and his stomach would do a flip flop whenever he came into contact with the nurse. It was almost as though he wanted to devour them alive…

 _Stop this kind of stupid thoughts. There is no way in Kami name that I would ever eat another human!_ He screamed internally when a knock came on the door. "Man Kakashi what's wrong with you recently? You've yet to touch your food," Rin sighed as she picked up the bowl of noodles from the table before it was snatched away by Obito who proceeded to eat it.

"Obito! You're not allowed to eat food for patients!" she scolded as Obito just grinned away. She gave up and proceeded to help Kakashi out of bed to change his bandages. Luckily he was patching up rather quickly, faster than normal speed according to Rin which made him wonder if something was really wrong with him or he might have just gone a little nuts.

"Up you go," she said as she let him sling an arm over her shoulder and settled him onto a chair. As she proceeded to bind his wounds, he stared at her, watching as she gently wrapped fresh bandages around his abdomen. The way she moved made him so mesmerized and underneath it all something yummy smelled… oh damn it! What was he thinking?!

"I need some air," Kakashi said as Rin nodded. She moved away to bring a wheelchair and he settled into it, letting the two of them wheel him out of the hospital wing. All around, people were rushing about to tend to wounded people who had just came back from missions which wasn't suprising since he was in the busiest side of the hospital. The other side was more normal and calmer things like giving birth took place, however calm giving birth to a kid may be.

"Oi Kakashi! I was saying if you want to come over to my place for dinner when you get discharged! Geez, whats up with you?" Obito scowled as he shook him on the shoulder. Kakashi had got so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize where they were now. One of the doors leading to an operation theatre was wide open and the people inside were draping a cloth over the person lying on the table.

"He didn't make it eh?" Rin whispered as she started to push the wheelchair. Kakashi felt for the first time in a while that his stomach stopped feeling like it was turning in acid and he stared into the room. The smell of a already rotting body filled his nose but it brought about something pleasant. He wanted to be near it, cut it up nicely and shove it into his mouth. He was hungry. So hungry…

"Rin. Can you move away quickly please," Kakashi muttered as he put a hand to his head. Just what had that mission done to him? When the fresh air hit his face, he thought that it might help him feel calmer but it didn't. Instead an array of smells hit his nose and he felt himself licking his lips. Everyone smelled so good and it wasn't due to the perfume… holy… his mind was messed up…

"Can you stop spacing out for goodness sake Kakashi? Man whats with you? I know you're sick but its not like you to space out so much," Obito groaned as he took rein of the wheelchair and steered him through the halls faster than Rin did. Like way faster. "What in Kami's name are you doing Obito?! This is a hospital!" Kakashi yelled as they raced past the corridors. The Anbu just grinned as they dashed around and even past his room.

"Brings back memories eh?" he smirked. "I don't recall doing this at all when we were kids!" Kakashi retorted as some of the nurses yelled at them to stop. Rin just face palmed herself as her husband and best friend acted like maniacs for the next good half an hour before Kakashi was wheeled back to his room feeling extra agitated and slightly better in a possible manner. After checking his bandages to see if the stitches hadn't been ripped open by accident during their excursion, Rin and Obito went home for the night, finally giving Kakashi some peace of mind. Or so he thought.

He found himself twisting in bed more than he normally would. He had some occasional nightmares yes but this was different. _He was bound in a chair, white flowers falling around him. As they fell, they rapidly changed to red and when they reached the ground, they dissolved into red liquid. "Come on, Kakashi-san. Don't hold back any longer and embrace it. I know you yearn for it," someone whispered in his ear._

 _"No… this can't be right. I'm a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, not some kind of monster…" he whispered as she chuckled. "Oh but you're not anymore. What are you going to do when they discover what you have become? A flesh eating monster? Now… eat…"_ she whispered as he bucked out of bed, sweating as he ripped his mask from his face, taking in air with his mouth. He wanted to throw up as he chugged down some water from the glass on the table.

As he lifted his head, something hit his nose. It set off the alarms in his head, making him get up without thinking and walking down the corridor. The hall was dark and quiet, creepy even with the sound of the occasional machinery. Kakahsi found himself standing outside one of the operating theatres, the door ajar as he moved in. He was surprised he didn't even need to hold onto the wall for support when he just had his internal organs scrambled two days ago.

He stared at the figure draped in white on the table and the smell grew stronger as he shakingly removed the upper part of the cloth to reveal a pale face. He wanted to rench when he felt himself getting drawn to it, feeling himself salivating even as his stomach screamed to be filled. "No… not now… I can't…" he groaned as he pushed himself away. Why did rotting flesh smell so good? What's going on?

He gasped as he fell onto the ground, his fingers clasping around his throat to choke himself out of this madness. This can't be real. Hell no… he was a human. A human! He grabbed the table at the side for support as he pushed himself up, feeling his hand touch something soft. He stared at the small piece of flesh on the table, the sight of it making him soar to heaven.

Kakashi couldn't stop himself as he scooped it up and thrust it into his mouth, sobbing as he swallowed it. The hunger died within his belly and that brought him some slight peace at least but not without giving him a wave of terror and guilt. As he thought of what he had just done, he caught sight of himself in the mirror at the corner, making his eyes widen.

One of them had gone black with a red pupil, red veins spreading over the eyeball as he touched it. It was vivid and he remembered how the woman he had fought had the same eyes. this was definitely not a sharingan but that was the only dojutsu he could think off that was red. "This can't be real… no… no… I'm human… I have to be a human," he whispered as he walked out of the ward, his hand trailing on the wall before he collapsed.


	3. Back with Team Seven

**Here is the latest chapter! Since the weekend is here there is more time to relax and watch anime! I finished Charlotte today and even though it was amazing, the ending just made me want to cry. I wonder why they would prefer not to have powers although I do understand they can get out of control sometimes but still, it wasn't all the time someone can get powers. Anyway, back to the story! I don't own the characters.**

Kakashi hid his face behind the latest edition of Make out Paradise as he tried to block out the smells hitting his face. He had finally been discharged from the hospital and was back to training with his team seven. The boys smelled their usual smell of sweat and Sakura may have put on a hint of perfume to attract Sasuke, although it never works but it made him more irritated, but underneath it all…

"Oi sensei! Come on over here instead of just nosing through that perverted book and teach us some jutsu!" Naruto called as he waved his hand at his teacher. The sun blazed over them and Kakashi didn't exactly liked to be in the heat. "Give sensei some slack, Naruto! He's just been discharged from the hospital!' Sakura snapped as she slammed a fist onto Naruto's head, who groaned in pain.

As the two of them squabbled, Sasuke just continued to hurl kunai at the wooden target in front of him, all the time hitting them spot on. Kakashi felt it was time to teach him more complicated jutsu and it was partially true that he indeed out powered the other two… but watching how his team interacted made Kakashi smile to himself. "Fine fine. I'll teach you how to balance on a tree upside down," he said as Naruto whooped with happiness.

...

"Ah! Time for lunch!" Naruto grinned as he removed a bento set from his bag. As he opened the carefully wrapped box, the smell of food hit Kakashi in a wave and he had to try to stop himself from puking. He tried not to make a face but luckily his mask covered his grim expression. "Are you not eating sensei?" Sakura asked as she munched on some fried chicken. Again Kakashi felt his stomach rolling as he waved a hand in front of him.

"Aha… I don't really have an appetite now for food… maybe I'll grab something on the way back from training later," he grinned as Sakura and Naruto made a face. "Come on you two. Just eat so we can get back to training," Sasuke muttered as he ate. Naruto looked like he wanted to challenge the other boy to a jutsu showdown or something but he just returned to eating.

One funny thing Kakashi found that he was able to digest was coffee. He had ran out of ideas of what to eat or drink and he thought of trying to at least keep himself awake. He removed a flask from his pouch and was unscrewing the lid when he felt three pairs of eyes gazing at him. "Are we finally going to see it?" Naruto grinned as Sakura nodded. "Finally! We get to see his real face!" she squeaked. Even Sasuke looked interested, although he was trying his best to keep a straight bored face.

"Come on now, get back to eating so we can train," Kakashi stammered as he tried to down the drink. The growling in his stomach was getting a little out of hand and who knows what he would do if he didn't drink it quickly. He couldn't bear to think of himself pouncing on any of his precious students and trying to take a bite out of them. Damn, he felt that even a vampire was a better option than what he had become!

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei! At least let us see your face for a bit. Pretty please?' Naruto begged as Kakashi tried to bat them off. As the three youngsters grew impatient, Kakashi was about to make another remark when Naruto formed a hand sign. "Oh shit…" Kakashi muttered as a bunch of Naruto clones dashed at him, followed by a fireball behind. "Are you guys that desperate?!" Kakashi yelled as he quickly performed the substitution jutsu, leaving his students to start yelling at each other for failing on unmasking him.

"They look like a lively bunch eh?" a voice came and Kakashi nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned to see an amused Obito perched on the branch with him. "Come on, Obito. You try taking care of those three. They're quite a handful you know," he said as he finally brought down his mask and drank his coffee. The taste of it made him want to puke but he gulped it down anyway, letting it soothe the hungriness in his stomach. "I wonder, why don't you not wear the mask for a day and see how many ladies would flock you? I would say everyone in the village would be thrilled to see Hatake Kakashi unmasked," he grinned as Kakashi swiped the flash at his head.

"Speaking about your beloved genin, don't let Kushina find out about your comment or she'll hit you in the head," Obito grinned as Kakashi tried to block out an image of Kushina bashing him on the head with a ladle. It wasn't as though she didn't do it often when they were young and quarreled a lot. "Say. Don't tell me you're still drinking coffee? Since when do you even like that stuff?" Obito asked as Kakashi slid the flask into his pouch. "Trying to lose weight," he said as Obito made a face.

"So when are you going to come for dinner? Rin has been pestering me to tell you about it but she says you never answer when she sends you a message. What's up with that?" Obito asked as he swung his legs to let them dangle below. "I think it wouldn't be a good idea…" he said as Obito clapped a hand on his back. "Come on. Just eat a little at least to please her or she will have both our heads," Obito said as he stared at the sky.

"Reminds us of our genin days eh?" he said as they watched the clouds pass by. Kakashi hadn't really been fond of the Uchiha but trials and tribulations brought them closer than ever and he thought he would die when Obito was caught in an accident, leaving him with one of his Sharingan. When Obito recovered however, he gave it back to him saying it belonged rightfully to him and with it Obito grew to become a better ninja than ever.

"Haven't you thought of quitting the Anbu and being a normal ninja? Or even a genin squad leader? The kids would love you," Kakashi said as Obito scowled. "I don't mind but I love my job now," he said and Kakashi wasn't so convinced about his response. "Oi Obito. Spill it. What would make you not want to spend time around Rin?" he said as the Uchiha rubbed his head. "Actually… hehe… you see… I'm going to be a father soon," he said as Kakashi grabbed him at the collar.

"Obito! Congratulations!" he said as the Uchiha tried to pry himself from the other man's grip. "Come on. You're choking me," he said as he took a gulp of air. "Don't tell me you're worried about not being a good father," Kakashi muttered. "Well, I didn't exactly grow up with a proper family and I'm Anbu… I don't know how I can raise a child when there have even been times I killed children for the sake of a mission…" he whispered as Kakashi clapped a hand on his back.

"Obito. You'll be fine. You and Rin make a perfect couple and will make even better parents. I'm pretty sure Minato sensei would understand and relieve you from your duties," he said as Obito grinned. "Haha. Guess you're right then…" he said as he stood up, stretching his arms. "Well I'm going to leave you with your precious students. Try not to get burnt will ya?" he said as he teleported away. Kakashi had a bad feeling as he looked below to see a massive fireball hurling towards him. "This is going to be a long day," he sighed as he leapt down below.

…

Kakashi rolled around in his bed, trying his best to block out the hunger raging in his stomach. It has been nearly three weeks since the disastorous mission and he wasn't getting any better from these hunger attacks. He was lucky to be able to teach his genin today without having to feel hungry but it always got worst at night. Not to mention he couldn't seem to block out the voice in his head…

 _"What's wrong, Kakashi-san? Just a little bite and your hunger will be gone,"_ the woman whispered into his ear, making him want to cry out. His body was covered with sweat and he gasped for air, his hunger getting the better out of him. He was reaching his limit and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't kill anyone and eat them… he knew that with this hunger, he would go way further than just taking a small bite…

He sat up straight, clutching his stomach as he walked to the window to get some fresh air. It cleared his mind a little but it wasn't enough. As he went back in and looked into the mirror, the beady red eye in its black sclera stared back at him, a testimony to his predicament. He didn't want it to be true and he couldn't just go to anyone to ask about this. They may call him crazy or if this eye does emerge, they might kill him out of defense or even worse…

He considered asking Obito and Rin about this since they were there when he had nearly died but he didn't want them to get into trouble since they did the transplant back there. He could get another transplant but there was no guarantee it would return him to normal and he couldn't just waltz into the hospital and ask for an organ when they were already so scarce… all he could do was crawl into bed and pray to Kami for this hellish situation to end.


	4. Digging in

**Here is a new chapter! Hope you guys are having fun reading this and also having fun getting ready for Christmas! I don't own the characters.**

"I have a new mission for you, Kakashi. You leave at once," Minato said as he handed the scroll to Kakashi, who looked at it. "What is it about?" he wondered aloud as he read through the contents. "Just a simple assassination mission. Get rid of the body once it is done," Minato said as he leaned back in his chair. Sometimes, being a ninja made them so immune to saying things such as killing someone that it made Kakashi's skin crawl but it wasn't like he could just feel bad forever. It was his job and he did chose to do it.

"Ok, Hokage-sama," he said as Minato waved a hand at him. "Come on. Call me sensei for all I care. You're too formal all the time," he muttered as Kakashi bowed and took his leave. When Kakashi closed the doors behind him, he let loose a sigh of relief along with a growl in his stomach. The pain and hunger was growing worse and he could only control it for so long… "Oi Kakashi. If you're that hungry just go get something to eat," one of the ninja passing by grinned but Kakashi quickly batted him away before making his escape.

As he packed whatever supplies he needed, he thought about the mission. Just an assassination mission, something that he had done many times and he would normally just burn the body to leave no evidence behind but this round… he found himself putting away some bags suitable for storing meat into his pouch and he wanted to stop himself from doing it. But he had no choice… if he didn't eat, sooner or later he would attack someone.

Kakashi soon found himself dashing through the woods, flitting through the trees as he made his way to his target. It was just a rogue ninja camping out in a secluded village someone north of Konoha and all he had to do was lure him away and kill him. Simple as that. But the thought of having to cut the man to pieces afterwards made Kakashi want to puke.

An hour later, Kakashi found himself walking through the village, the place nearly devoid of life since it was getting dark. Small flickers of light shone from within houses, some of them filled with sounds of people having their dinner. Thinking about the last time he had a 'real' dinner made Kakashi pull out his flash of coffee and take a swing from it. He was nearly reaching his limit since the coffee wasn't working on him for much longer.

He heard the sound of a door banging shut and he peeped from the alley he had taken refuge in to see his target moving towards the forest. Praying that he wouldn't notice the rumbling in his stomach, Kakashi tailed after him, watching as the man walked towards a copse of trees. He had been wanted for killing several innocent people and loot them and not to mention he killed some Konoha ninja not long ago. Not a long list of things to get him killed though.

"Oi, I know you're out there so come out and fight like a man," he sneered as Kakashi sighed. "Man, you caught me," Kakashi sighed as he walked out with his hands up in the air. The man snorted but he could see the terror behind his eyes as he reached for a kunai. "So Konoha has to send the great Hatake Kakashi to kill a simple man like me," he said as he got ready.

"Don't make this too hard for me. I've had a rough day," Kakashi said as he shot towards him, his hands forming the signs of his jutsu as he raised his fist. "Chidori!" he shouted as he aimed for the man's heart just as something pulsed within him. He cried out as he writhed in pain, the hunger in his stomach growing intense as the scent of human flesh wafted towards him. "What the," the man gasped as he watched Kakashi screamed, rolling around as something tore through his back.

"What the hell?!" he shouted as he watched four tentacles emerging from Kakashi's back, waving in the air at their own accord before shooting towards him. "Monster!" he screamed as he tried his best to bat away the tentacles but to no avail as they cut off his limbs once by one. His screams of terror could be heard as Kakashi slowly got up, numbed by the smell of a meal.

The man crawled pitifully on the ground, blood spurting across the grass as he tried to drag himself away. He looked at Kakashi before he let out an animalistic cry, trying to get away from the beast that was about to eat him. "What the hell? I can't be eaten… I'm not an animal. Please! Don't eat me!" he begged as Kakashi walked slowly behind him like a predator ready to dig into his meal. "But I'm hungry. I don't exactly have a choice," he whispered as the man let out a squeal like a pig.

"Please Kami-sama! Have mercy! I don't want to die!" the man screamed, his mouth foaming and eyes rolling in their sockets as Kakashi approached. The only thing on his mind now was how he would cut up the man and portion his food. The man shouted even more when one of the tentacles wrapped itself around his middle and brought him close to Kakashi, who stared at him with his red eye.

"I knew you were a monster but this… you're a freak!" he spat as Kakashi cocked his head. "Oh, you think so? Then I hope you don't mind me doing this," he muttered as he crushed the man, dropping him to the ground. When the body hit the ground, that shook Kakashi out of his stupor and he gazed at the bloody mess before him. Not thinking about whether he was being watched, Kakashi brought one bloody arm to his mouth and bit into it.

The taste exploded in his mouth. It felt like he was eating the best steak in the world and it filled his stomach with such warmth that he could just sigh with happiness. As he ate, he slowly felt the hunger go away, leaving him mind to be at peace for the first time in a long while. Once he was done with his meal, Kakashi sliced up the man and stuffed the meat into the packages he brought, tossing the unusable parts into a ditch and burning them. As they burned, Kakashi watched as the tears sprouted in his eyes as he embraced the monster he had become.


	5. Mission with Obito

**Hi guys. Sorry for the long wait. Have been caught up in the wave of The Last Jedi over the past few weeks and have been writing so much and having to prep for exams. I have exams in around a weeks time so I might be slowing down on this story but I will get it done in around a month of two so bear with me! I don't own the characters.**

Kakashi felt like he was going to throw up as he gobbled down his meal. He was glad that at least he didn't have to eat the meat everyday but to have to face it when his hunger went out of control, it made him question himself just how much he was loosing his humanity. Missions and training his team for the Chunin exams were the only things that allowed him some peace of mind. And his old team and sensei were a help as well with their presence. He couldn't imagine a world without them.

Between drinking a lot of coffee and eating human meat every few weeks, Kakashi was having a pretty normal time in the village. He had a nice balance of missions and training with his team and he was also helping Obito try to not make Rin mad when she was pregnant. She had bouts of morning sickness and she often got pretty pissed enough to kick him out of the house and make him crash at Minato's place. Kakashi wouldn't mind letting him stay over but he was afraid Obito would discover his horrible meat rations.

The last time Kakashi had collected any fresh meat was when he had gone for the mission and killed the rogue ninja and his supply was running a little low. He thought of how empty his fridge looked and he gulped when he saw the only thing sustaining him for now sitting on the shelf like a red heart. Well, he did eat the heart not too long ago but now if he ever were to return to being a normal human, he may very well go vegetarian.

He felt the Hokage summoning him and he teleported himself into Minato's office, who was seated at his desk as per usual. He handed Kakashi the documents just as Obito came in, slamming the door behind him as he whacked Kakashi on the back. "Just like old times eh?" he grinned as Kakashi realized he was coming as well. His head was a little light from not having eaten for nearly a week so he thought he better eat before leaving. That made his stomach turn even more.

"Hey are you even listening to what I was saying? We're having a baby shower in a week's time and you got to come, got it? We're going to reveal the gender of the baby as well," Obito said, as Kakashi sighed, "Isn't that what you do in baby showers anyway?" He could imagine Obito had invited the entire Uchiha clan and maybe half of the village to the shower and he hoped he would be able to just slip away in the cover of night and enjoy some solitude in his room.

Kakashi had been hoping that he would be able to go scout out the village that turned him into a flesh eating monster if he had some spare time, which happened to be the same time as the baby shower. Thinking of how it could wait as it wasn't often his friends pop out a baby, he nodded as Obito allowed him to go pack his stuff. Kakashi searched through his cabinet, putting spare cloth and bandages plus weapons into his bag when he looked into his near empty fridge.

Sighing, he put in some bags as well to store away meat and he tightened the belt around him as he walked out of the door, slamming it behind him. He met Obito at the East gate of the village and he waved as Kakashi walked over. "This should be done fairly quick," he said as they started off into the woods. Kakashi hardly ever went on missions with the Uchiha so he was glad he could spend some time with him before he got busy with being a father.

"So Kakashi. How have things been with your team? I heard the exams are coming up," Obito said as they leaped from tree to tree. "Not bad. Naruto is giving some trouble as usual but he and Sasuke are getting stronger. I can't say much about Sakura though," he said as Obito chuckled. "Rin's reaching her how to be a medical nin so I think she'll do fine," he said as they stopped at one tree to check their coordinates. They were to intercept a group who had been raiding the nearby villages and if possible bring them in alive or as per usual, terminate them and get rid of them. It wasn't like they had a lot of prison room in the village.

"We should be getting close to their hideout. Should make it there by nightfall. Then we strike," Obito grinned as Kakashi yawned, wishing he could pull out his Make Out Paradise book and read. He couldn't remember the last time he could sit down and read his book. He hoped he would be able to collect his food supply while Obito took care of the bandits. He couldn't imagine how he would succeed in that if the Uchiha were to be wide awake. In the worst case scenario, he would have to wait until his next mission.

They rested a bit before taking off again, the sky slowly turning dark around them. They soon came to the place where the bandits had their camp and they could make out around six men moving about the tents, having a good time eating whatever they had stolen. Obito nodded as he moved to the tents and Kakahsi did the same. He hoped he could get this over quick.

He heard a loud boom as Obito fired one of his fireball jutsus and he sighed as one of the bandits came at him, weaving signs. Before he could finish though, Kakashi had pierced his chest with his Chidori, sending him to the ground lifeless. His hand still dripping with blood, Kakashi moved to the next target, piercing him as well when he felt a sting in his side. "Hehe, caught you," one of them sneered as he twitched. He knew by now that an injury would cause his innate power to go wild and that was about to happen.

"Oh no," Kakashi gasped as the red tentacles prodded from his back, slicing into the man and carried him into the air. "What is this?!" he howled as Kakashi stared, not knowing how to control it. Thinking of it as being another body part and flexing his muscles, Kakashi tossed the man aside, letting him slide to the ground. "To think one of them can get into Leaf Village," he gasped as he bled out. Kakashi turned to him, grabbing him by the throat and bringing him close.

"What do you know about this defect?" he snarled as the man's eyes went wide. "You have it…" he whispered as Kakashi tried not to think about the weird eye he had. "Tell me what you know about them," he hissed as he gulped, "They are a race of people that reside in Kagune village, situated deep in the mountains of the North. That's all I can tell! We were stupid enough to raid their place but we got hunted down until not even ten of us were left! Please, spare us!"

"What about them? What did they do?" Kakashi pressed on as the man started to choke on his own blood. "They killed us like skewering meat. They had the same arms and eyes as you did and they didn't just kill us, they ate us, some of them still alive! Kami, they were real devils," he said as he choked more. "Do you have a map on how to get there?" Kakashi demanded as the man sputtered and died.

Kakashi scowled as he shoved the body against the tree and hastily cleaned his hands. He turned around and was glad that at least the tentacles were gone when he realized Obito hadn't hastily chopped up the man into pieces and burnt the rest before shoving the meat into his bags before he stood up to find his annoying teammate. "Hey, Obito! Come on! Stop messing around!" he yelled as he moved through the tents. As he weaved through, he set the place on fire, destroying any evidence of them being there when he came to a tree. Obito lay beneath it, his hand clutching his side as he grinned weakly.

"You idiot. A bandit got to you?" Kakashi said as he helped Obito to his feet, the other man twitching a little as they made their way back. "Haha very funny. Even I am vulnerable sometimes. He used some weird jutsu on me and caught me off guard but I got him right back," he said as Kakashi saw the sizzled remains of the attacker.

"Do you think we can make it home in time?" Obito asked. Kakashi didn't want to take the risk of resting in the forest and with the people who turned him into a monster being very much alive somewhere, he wasn't taking any chances of Obito getting hurt. He was already starting to get a little agitated with the smell of blood reaching his nose and he tried to push it back as Obito grunted.

"Man Rin is going to kill me," he muttered as Kakashi laughed, "Anyway, you're crashing at my place tonight. Better let Rin heal you up tomorrow than bringing you to her now in the dead of night and make her mad," he said as Obito grinned. "Fine you have a point." As Kakashi leapt throught he trees, he could only pray that Obito didn't find out about his disgusting nature whe he came over.

 **Hopefully this chapter sort of kicks this story forward after all the delay. Hope you guys enjoyed this!**


	6. Return to the village

"Damn," Obito groaned as he tossed in the bed. He felt himself being wrapped in layers of blankets as he stirred, the blankets falling onto the floor as he tried to get his bearings straight. He felt a sting in his side and he touched it gingerly, remembering what had happened the day before. He had gone on a mission with Kakashi and got himself injured. On the way back he recalled Kakashi telling him he could crash at his place and then everything went black.

Wondering what Kakashi must be thinking of him now, Obito moved to the kitchen, his stomach rumbling as he yanked open the fridge to be met by a perculiar sight. The fridge was next to empty save for the top shelf with held some packets of sugar and something else. The freezer on the other hand was filled with packages that brought a strange scent to Obito's nose when he caught a whiff of it. That didn't smell like any meat he had ever tasted and he had tasted a lot.

"Oi Obito. Are you up yet? I called Rin and told her what happened so you better get your butt out of here," Kakashi called as he stepped out of the shower, his pants on but shirtless. Obito hated how his friend was much more ripped than he was but then again, ninja men were really ripped. "Hey Kakashi. I was thinking about making breakfast but looks like you've really ran out of food. When was the last time you went grocery shopping?' he asked as Kakashi went very still.

That was when Obito realized the man was much more pale than usual and his still had the scar from the transplant Rin did on him on his stomach, long and deep. Obito tried to block out the sight of Rin having to put in someone else's entrails into his best friend as he stood up. "What do you say you come over for breakfast? Rin will be more than happy if you came over," he said as Kakashi quickly batted him away.

"Nah nah. I'm fine," he said. "You don't look fine. What's going on Kakashi? You look worse for wear. Did the mission do something to you?" Obito pressed on, knowing such a simple mission couldn't have such an effect on Kakashi when Kakashi slammed a fist against the wall. "I said I'm fine!" he snapped and Obito quickly clamped his mouth shut. He stood up and made his way to the door, pulling on his sandals with slight difficulty before turning to face Kakashi. "If you have any problem, just come and tell me. I won't judge you," he said as he closed the door behind him.

Kakashi sank onto the couch, having had a restless sleep the entire night. He had dreamt of the woman haunting him again, telling him to go to her village and wipe everyone out. As much as he would love to do that, he didn't want to stomach the idea of having to kill an entire village for the crimes of one person. Trying to forget about it, he just made his way to the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee, gulping it down quickly as he stared at himself in the mirror.

The long scar that was the beginning of his hell ran across abdomen as he ran his fingers across it. He shuddered at seeing how he looked now and as he turned around, there were slight markings from where his tentacles had protruded from the previous day. Glad that his wounds healed way faster than normal at least, he pulled on his shirt and headed out, ready to face another day with his genin team.

...

"Hey Obito. Did you and Kakashi have a fight again?" Rin asked as she hung the balloons around the house. "Kinda," he replied as he balanced her on his shoulders, trying not to fall as she hung the decorations. The party was in two days time and they were getting busy making the place look nice. His grandmother had come over and make the place neater along with some food. She still couldn't get over the fact her grandson was going to be a father soon.

"I see you two still fight," Rin smiled as he set her down. He ran a hand over her large belly, lifting the shirt to press a kiss to it before kissing her gently on the mouth. Kakashi had been thrilled when they announced their marriage but he could tell he had slight feelings for Rin. But at the same time, he was glad that he had gotten the girl who loved Kakashi at first and now they were going to have a family together. Obito was still reeling from the day she told him the results of her pregnancy test.

"Its nothing. Just something to do with his diet," Obito said as he led her to the couch. She sat down heavily, rubbing her back slightly as he rubbed her shoulders. "You know, he did have a major surgery not long ago but I assumed he should be fine. Did he go back to the hospital for any checkups?" she asked. "No mention of that. Knowing him, he would have just gone back to work without caring how his body was doing," he said. Kakashi would normally take his mind away from anything worrying him by training or going for missions.

"Well when he comes to the party on Saturday, I'll give him a look to see how he's doing. I'm sure he's fine," she said as she rubbed her belly. Obito moved to make tea for them as she thought of the mission a month back. She recalled how Kakashi had been so unwilling to accept the transplant but if she hadn't done it, he would have died. She made a point to try and find if there was any way for him to get another transplant but the results were coming in slow. Despite ninjas dying all the time, not many make a point to donate their organs and there was the issue of one matching him…

"Hey Rin. Are you okay?" Obito asked as he put a steaming mug of green tea in her hand. She sipped it, letting it calm her mind down as she tried not to think of Kakashi. She hoped she hadn't made a bad decision back then but for now, they have to wait for Saturday to come and see how Kakashi is really coping with it.

…

"Hey Sensei! Are you even listening? I was asking you how the Chunin exams are like!" Naruto yelled as Kakashi removed Make out Paradise from his face. "For the last time Naruto, the only thing I can tell you is that if you don't practice, you will fail. It is as simple as that," he said as the boy pouted. "Come on, Naruto. Can you see sensei is tired? He just came back from a mission yesterday!" Sakura said as she grabbed Naruto by the ear, making him squeal.

"Come on you three. Get your heads into order and focus on attacking one another," he said as Naruto headed back to the field. Sasuke was still practicing shuriken and Naruto was getting a little antsy about the exams, which were in around two weeks time. Kakashi would love to tell them what it was about but if he were to tell Naruto about the written part of the exam, he think Naruto would die of shock since he was so bad at them.

He let the sun kiss his skin as he laid back, watching his genin practice in the distance. He never imagined he would be a teacher to such a rowdy group but he would never trade them for any other team. He smiled, thinking of how blessed he was to have them when his mind slowly slipped away. Cursing himself for not taking enough coffee, he let his eyes close for a short nap.

 _Kakashi saw himself moving through the trees at lightning speed, flitting through he trees. He didn't feel his legs hitting anything but when he turned around, he saw the tentacle doing the running for him, gripping onto trees and swinging him ahead. He felt so free then, watching the trees pass by as he tried to make out where he was. There was a mountain approaching in front of him and below was a dirt path that he saw was well concealed by vegetation._

 _As he approached, he could smell the scent of blood wafting through the air and his pulse raced as he quickened his movements, rushing to the source. He felt himself drooling from the scent, the smell of the blood and fresh meat smelling like the best steak in the world. He landed in front of a small village, no gate to indicate what its name was. All around were walls and there were people in front, looking at him with amusement as he walked towards them._

 _"State your business," one of them said as the other nudged his friend. "Hey isn't that the Konoha headband?' he gaped as Kakashi raised his arms. "Impossible. How would one of us be able to get into that village?" he asked as he readied his weapon, his eyes turning into the same colour as Kakashi's as tentacles emerged from his back. "Come on, don't attack him. He's one of us!" "Don't be stupid! He's of the leaf!"_

 _"Come on boys, relax," a curt voice said as a woman approached, her sword swinging at her hip as she approached. Kakashi gulped as he recognized her as the one who gave her organs to him. She smiled as she licked her lips, pressing a finger against his face as she stroked his cheek. "Well welcome home, my little pet," she giggled. "You're dead. What are you doing here?" he hissed as she laughed. "What am I doing here? This is my home," she said as the door yawned open behind her to reveal a village. Kakashi nearly screamed when he saw what were displayed in the shops. Human body parts lined the shelves and he tried not to hurl as she cackled, "Welcome to Kagune village."_

Kakashi gasped as he bucked from his sleep, his book falling onto the grass as he stared around him. He was in Konoha, not in some creepy village in the middle of the mountains. He gasped as he clutched his heart, the organ beating so hard he thought he was going to have a heart attack. The way to the village was fresh in his mind and he could almost imagine how to get there now… "Hey Kakashi sensei! Come and teach us something, will ya?" Naruto yelled and putting aside his thoughts for the time-being, Kakashi made his way to his students.


	7. Baby shower!

**Happy weekend! I don't own the characters.**

Kakashi wandered through the shop, wondering what he should get Obito and Rin for their baby shower. He had no experience whatsoever with these kind of events and his first natural instinct for getting a gift was to head to the weapons shop but he doubt Rin would appreciate it if her child would have a kunai as a gift before they were even born, showing just what sort of society they lived in. At such a young age, children were taught to kill, whether they use it or not in the future was another issue entirely.

Kakashi felt out of place in a shop filled with ladies, most of them choosing baby clothes. He had no idea how he stumbled upon this place anyway and he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible if it weren't for so many people squeezed in it. He looked around, wondering what he should get for the couple when he saw a packaging.

"May I have a look at that?" he asked as the shopkeeper handed it to him with a raised eyebrow. He was well known throughout the village and some of the ladies giggled as they passed by him. Kakashi couldn't remember the last time he dated a woman and he didn't plan on getting hook up with anyone any time soon. The only one he might have ended up with was Rin and she was now taken by his best friend.

He twirled the package in his hand, looking at the contents. "That's a gift pack for small kids who may want to be ninja. Kind of makes tings interesting for a baby shower since its suitable for both genders," the shopkeeper grinned as Kakashi examined the package like some kind of expensive jewelry. Well, he was going to pay for it so might as well get something worth his money. Inside were some rubber kunai, a utility belt and even some smoke bombs. He smiled to himself as he reached into his pocket, knowing what he will buy for the future child of his best friends.

….

"Yo," Kakashi said as he passed by Kurenai and Asuma, who were on their way to the baby shower as well. Kurenai had given birth not too long ago but was back in full swing of her ninja duties not long after. The child was now in the care of the ex-Hokage for the time being and Kakashi could only hope that the child didn't end up a chain smoker like her grandfather and father before her. Asuma was currently smoking on a cigarette as usual but as they reached the house, Kurenai plucked the cigarette from his mouth and dropped it on the ground, saying that it was rude for him to smoke in a baby shower.

"Come on. Everyone knows I smoke," he grumbled as she gave him a glare. Shutting him up, Kurenai walked to the door and knocked on it to be welcomed by Rin, her belly more swollen than before. Kakashi hung at the back, a bit lost at what to do at a baby shower. The place was packed with people he knew, most of them ex-classmates and also fellow ninja, all of them busy eating and drinking their fill. It wasn't often they get to welcome a baby of their friend's into the world.

"Congratulations, Rin," Kakashi said as he gave Rin a hug. He gave the gift to her, a little shy at having to give something to the girl he used to like but she squealed as she hugged him tight. "Thanks Kakashi, you didn't have to get us anything," she said as she showed him the pile of gifts in the corner. "Its not all the time my teammate expects a child," he grinned as Obito came from behind, his breath reeking of alcohol.

"Yo Kakashi. Glad you can make it," he said, a little more tipsy than the father of the expecting child should be. "Come on, Obito. You promised not to drink so much until we announce the child's gender," Rin scolded him as Genma slung an arm over Obito, equally drunk. "Come on, Rin. Lighten up! Now is a time of celebration and happiness!" he said as Rin gave up.

"Fine. But don't blame me if my husband makes a fool of himself in front of you all during the announcement," she said as both of them walked away to join a ring of Uchiha, all of them as tipsy as they were. "You want a drink, Kakashi?" Rin asked as he replied, "Coffee please." "You sound like a woman when you say that," she said as she went to the coffee machine to make some. As she put in the package into the machine, she watched as her friend moved to the couch, sitting down with a groan. He did look much more pale than normal and he was getting slightly thinner.

"Hey Kakashi. Are you eating alright? You don't look so good," she said as she handed the mug to him. "I'm doing fine," he said as he lowered his mask just for a moment to drink the beverage. Rin and Obito were some of the few people who have seen his face which was considered to be a mystery and she bet if he would just take it off, women would be flocking him without any problems. "Obito mentioned that your fridge was pretty empty. When was the last time you had anything other than coffee?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Rin. Really," he said as she continued, "Did this start after you had the surgery?" That nearly made him choke on his drink and Rin had to pat him on the back. "If it was really that bad, I will request a new transplant for you," she said. "No. I'm fine," he said. "You don't look fine. Kakashi, we're worried about you. Your genin say you often have your head in the clouds despite their exams being two weeks away. Aren't you a little irresponsible for them?" "I'm just tired."

Rin looked at her friend, searching for an answer to this problem. He had been so hesistant to receive the organs and had begged her to stop. She had to do it… if she hadn't done it, he wouldn't be sitting here now… she tried to recall anything about the enemy ninja but they were human to her… well one of them had some strange jutsu that she had never seen before.

"Come to the hospital on Monday. I will check you and give you an examination," she said and he couldn't bear to tell her that after this party, he would be making his way to Kagune village. The chances of him coming back may be slim but he would rather die than stay the way he was now. "Come on. Enjoy the party," Obito said as he clamped a hand onto Rin and Kakashi. Rin looked at her husband who was a bit too tipsy to understand the situation but she lovingly patted his hand as he helped her up.

"Now for the moment we have all been waiting for!" Obito shouted as he and Rin walked to the center of the room. "If you will make your way outside," he said as everyone moved into the garden, a big box sitting in the center as they approached. "Come on. Open it!" Genma shouted as everyone chanted for them to do it. Kakashi hung back, watching as his friends unveiled the gender of their child.

"Hey, no using the Sharingan to peep!" Obito shouted as his clansmen roared with laughter. Some of them were deactivating their doujutsu and there were even some Hyuga doing the same. "Geez, can't you guys be patient?" Obito muttered as he removed a kunai and slid it across the top. "Ready?" he smiled to Rin, who held his hand and yanked the box open.

A bunch of blue balloons soared into the sky and some crackers popped as some of the family members pulled at them. "It's a boy!" Obito yelled as the crowd cheered, all of them congratulating on their child. "So so! What are you going to name him?" Naruto asked, the small boy grabbing Obito around the waist as his parents tried to stop him. "That's a secret, kiddo," he grinned as he rubbed him on the head, making the boy groan.

Kakashi watched as everyone celebrated, drinking and having fun. He could only watch as he turned to the door, pulling it open slowly to allow himself out. He stepped into the street, leaving the party behind him as he took to the sky, jumping across buildings to come to the north gate of the village. He could see his destination in the distance and he puffed out his chest, letting out an anxious breath before making a dash into the woods.

…

Minato and Kushina couldn't be happier to see Minato's students grow to become such fine ninja and now two of them had a child together. Kushina had been a handful when she was pregnant with Naruto and Minato was glad she didn't suggest making another child. He don't think he could go through all the screaming she did when she was giving birth and having to hold back the Kyubi.

As the festivities unfolded, Minato felt his other student slipping out of the house. He turned to see the door close with a small snap, which hardly anyone noticed before he turned to face his students. Looks like Rin and Obito were too happy to notice what had just happened and since he didn't want to spoil the festivities, he thought that he could inform them of what happened the next day.


	8. Kagune Village

Kakashi walked through the forest, his legs tiring since he had traveled the entire night. He would kill to have a good rest but he wanted to reach the village as soon as possible and figure out what was going on. He pulled out his flask and drank some coffee before removing a package from his bag, staring at it grimly before opening it. His nose was filled with the smell of human flesh and as much as he wanted to not eat it, he needed the energy. Bringing it to his mouth, he ate the meat, tearing through it until nothing was left. Kakashi wanted to think of the meat as a horrible task polluting his mouth but the meat tasted as though it was steak or something he loved.

He tried not to think about his meal as he sank to his butt, letting his legs give out under him to rest for a while. He checked his coordinates, making sure he was going in the right direction. The place he was in looked familiar in his dream and he guessed he was on the right path. After resting for 10 minutes, he was on his feet again, leaping through the trees. As he ran, he thought of the tentacles that he possessed, wondering how he could make use of them. At least he only thing good he gained from the hellish experience was a natural weapon.

From what he could draw, he had normally only been able to call upon them when he was injured or if he was hungry. He wasn't stupid enough to injure himself to call upon them and he could already see the village in the clearing ahead. The mountain loomed behind the village, the gates open and the place seemingly deserted. Slight mist covered the area as he walked past, watching to see if there were any guards.

He knew he should at least cover his face but he didn't make an effort to do it as he entered the village. There were a few people walking about, some of them holding bags of food as they returned home from grocery shopping. He could tell from the scent that they were all human parts and he saw rows of human meat lining the shelves of the stores. He tried not to gag as the scent seemed pleasant to him, making him sick in the gut.

There were a few ninja about and some of them looked at him suspiciously. He guessed most of them had never came across a Leaf ninja and he hoped he didn't have to resort to a fight. He caught sight of some children playing, all of them looking seemingly normal if they weren't snacking on what looked like human burgers. Kakashi tried not to stare as they ate, laughing as they dug in.

"Hey, you lost?" a voice called as he turned around to see a ninja of the village. The guy smirked as he stared at him, a hand on his hip as he examined Kakashi. "Hm, I don't recognize that symbol on your headband. Are you from around this parts?" he asked. "Uh, I got a little lost here so I'm trying to figure my way around. Would you help me find the way around?" he asked as the guy snorted.

"You smell like one of us but you seem as though you've never been in the village before… strange…" he said as Kakashi gave a weak grin. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of the place," the guy said as he extended a hand. "The name's Khan. I'm one of the ninja of Kagune village. Welcome, brother," he said as Kakashi lifted a hand to shake it. "I'm Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi. Pleased to meet you."

…

Minato sat at his desk, scribbling away on his notepad when he heard the door opening. He didn't have to look up to see his former students standing there, one of them with a large belly. He looked up, smiling at them as he stretched. He didn't recalled the Third Hokage mentioning the amount of paperwork he would have to do with this job. "Hokage-sama," Rin smiled as she and Obito bowed. "Come on. No need for the formalities," he said as he waved for them to sit.

Obito helped Rin into the chair, the girl caressing her swollen belly. "How is the baby doing?" Minato asked. "Not too bad. Keeps me awake sometimes at night but I can manage," she beamed as she intertwined her fingers with Obito's. Minato was so glad that they were married and recalled how much Obito tried to earn her affection when they were genin. Those days seemed so long ago.

"Obito. Rin, do you recall anything about the mission you had with Kakashi?" he asked. "Yeah, he was injured and Rin had to patch him up," Obito said as he leaned back in his chair. "He was wounded and had his intestines smashed up so I had to do an emergency transplant from one of the enemy ninja. He was stable by the time we got back to the village so I thought he wouldn't need anymore treatment," Rin said.

"You noticed him leaving early yesterday, did you?" he asked. Both of them nodded, although they wished their friend hadn't left the party so abruptly. Throughout the whole thing, he had looked like he needed to get out of there, as thought the atmosphere was killing him. "I'm worried for Kakashi. He seems so out of everything ever since the incident," Obito remarked.

"Do you remember seeing anything out of the ordinary? Like what he did or ate or anything?" Minato asked. "Well I did recall going to his apartment and finding his fridge empty except for a few meat packages, although I couldn't place what they were," Obito remarked. "Anything else?" he asked. "Well, Naruto did comment that Kakashi stopped eating with them and was always drinking coffee. Plus, he always seemed to be dosing off during lessons," he said as Minato sighed. He knew Kakashi could be like that but at the same time he didn't want his son to have to fail his exams.

"I want both of you to go to his place and talk to him at once. I'll try to see if I can find anything about the ninja that attacked you," Minato said as both of them took their leave. As they closed the door behind them, Minato massaged his temples as he looked at the workload he had to complete before going home. Knowing he would be late to face Kushina's wrath, he searched through the files for the mission that changed Kakashi's life forever.

…

"And this is the village square as you can see," Khan said as they walked through the village. It was rather small but signs of life were everywhere as they moved deeper into the village. "I haven't come across this village before. Which land do you belong to?" Kakashi asked. "Well, technically we are under the Land of Fire but the head considers us to be on our own. I can see why though. If anyone finds out about us, no one would stop until the village is burnt to the ground," Khan said.

"Wait what do you mean by that?" he asked as Khan turned around. "Wait you don't know what this place is?" he blurted as some people turned to stare at them. All of them looked so human but Kakashi could tell there was something off about this village. 'Come with me," he said as he led Kakashi to an alley where no one would see them. "Nice spot," Kakashi grunted as Khan shoved him against the wall.

"Kakashi, do you know what you house within you now? What you are?" he asked. "Well that's why I came here for," he said. "Oh Kami… but you're one of us…. I can tell… its impossible for you to not know what this place is when only a ghoul should know…" "Wait, what is a ghoul?" "Well, you're a ghoul, Kakashi. I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you! Everyone should know that at least!"

Kakashi heart was racing, his mind going wild as he thought of what Khan had just said. He was a ghoul, whatever that was. And everyone in this village was one too. To imagine so many monsters in a single place, he felt like he was suffocating. "Hey Kakashi, you look sick. Are you alright man?" Khan asked as footsteps came to them. "Hey Khan! What are you doing with an outsider?" one man demanded as he stepped towards them.

"Teku. This guy stumbled upon this village by accident. I can tell for sure he is one of us but it is impossible right? He doesn't sport our village crest," Khan said as the guy sniffed Kakashi like an animal. "He is one of us alright but he doesn't seem right," he mumbled as Kakashi said, "Look, I don't know what is going on, but I am in trouble. I bumped into one of your comrades the other time and for some reason I ended like this."

"Wait, you meant you're the one who killed Ayume and the others a month ago back in the forest?" Teku growled as he grabbed Kakashi by the throat. For a skinny guy, he was really strong. "Answer me!" he shouted as Kakashi gasped for breath. He wanted to fight but he didn't want to make negotiations any messier. "Hey cut it out, Teku! This guy is just lost!" Khan said as Teku glared at him, making him shut up.

"There is no way someone can find their way here unless they're a ghoul," he said. "Just what the hell is a ghoul?" Kakashi spat as Teku slammed a fist into his jaw. "Don't you dare to insult us that way!" he yelled as Khan grabbed his arm. "Hey! Maybe we should hear him out, got it?" he said as Teku growled, letting Kakashi go. He held his throat, gasping for air as he slumped to the ground.

"Fine. We'll lock him up and question him. Things have been getting fishy around here recently and I don't like it," Teku said as Kakashi tried to stand to his feet. "Well, there is one way to see if he is one of us," he grinned as tentacles emerged from his back and cut into Kakashi's abdomen. He yelled as he spat blood, his organs getting scrambled as he howled in pain. "If he is to survive, he has to eat meat right? Let's see if he does," he grinned as Kakashi fell unconscious.


	9. Revelation

**Been one hell of a bunch of exams so now I'm free! I don't own the characters.**

"Oi Kakashi! Open up!" Obito shouted as he banged on the door, not caring if the neightbours got pissed about him making so much noise at such a late time in the day. "Have you called him?" Obito asked as Rin groaned, "You know he hardly uses his house phone and I can hear it ringing from here." Giving up, Rin removed a pin from her hair and knelt down, picking the lock to allow it to swing open to reveal a dark flat.

"I didn't know you know how to pick a lock," Obito muttered as they entered, their footsteps echoing through the hall as they walked through. "Pardon the intrusion!" Obito called as Rin checked the house. "Looks like Kakashi hasn't been home for at least 24 hours," she said as she turned to examine the fridge. True enough, it was pretty empty save for the freezer, which contained the packages Obito was telling Minato earlier.

She reached into the freezer, bringing out the package to open it. She stared at the meat inside, not believing what she was seeing as she brought it to her nose. As she caught a whiff of it, it confirmed her suspicions. "Obito, do you know what this is?" she asked as he came close. "No idea, some kind of new meat he likes?" he said as she replied, "This is human meat." Obito started to laugh when he saw that his wife was serious.

"Wait a minute. You're saying our friend Kakashi Hatake is a cannibal?!" he said. "Not a cannibal. I don't think he would become one because he grew tired of normal meat," she said as she put the meat back in the fridge. As she did so, she thought of the people who had attacked them and caused Kakashi to be injured. She put a hand to her mouth, the revelation dawning to her as she thought of what she had done. "Obito, we're going to the library. Now," she said and without waiting for a reply, she snatched her husband by the wrist and dragged him out of the apartment.

…

Kakashi awoke to find himself in chair, his body pinned to it as he struggled. He knew it was useless but he tried anyway before giving up. He felt a sting in his abdomen and he recalled getting stabbed by a bunch of tentacles from Teku. The weird thing was, he barely felt anything now, only hunger. "You're awake, I see," a voice said as Teku came into the room, closing the door behind him with a click. He had a plate in his hand and Kakashi's mouth began to water when he realized what it was.

"Whenever we are injured, we may heal quickly but that in turn forces us to consume more flesh to replenish all of our energy," he said as he unwrapped the plate to reveal human flesh on it. Kakashi wanted to gag when he saw blood running down from the meat but at the same time his stomach cried out for it. "Come on, eat it. No need to be shy. We all have to eat at some point," Teku said as Kakashi looked away.

"I'm not one of you," he said as Teku raised an eyebrow. "Well you are. You have Kagune like we do and you even have our eye. Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror and see for yourself?" he said as Kakashi stared at his own reflection. He wanted to cry out when he saw the eye looking back at him, nearly making him choke on his tears. "But why do you only have one eye…" Teku muttered as Kakashi rasped, "If I eat this tell me everything about you all."

"Well that isn't such a bad trade," he said as he stood up and removed the restrains from Kakashi. He was surprised that he was even released so quickly. "I may not trust strangers but you seem fine. Now, eat,' he said as Kakashi stared at the plate. He felt drool dribbling down his chin as he shakily took the fork and stabbed it into the meat, bringing it to his mouth to bite down. Teku watched with amusement at how conflicted Kakashi was to eat and when he was finally done, he looked like he had just returned from battle.

"Now then, what do you want to know?" Teku asked as he crossed his arms. "First of all, tell me why the hell do we need to eat human meat?" Kakashi demanded. "Well, we are ghouls and we have to consume human flesh to survive. No one knows when the first ghoul was born but we have multiplied to the extent of being able to form our own village, which is also for safety. You can see why people would want to kill us," he said. "We try not to harm others whenever possible but our people need to eat. Once a month we will send the ravagers to collect the meat supply of for the village and normally we would only target those whom no one would remember or would like to kill like bandits."

"Things have been going smoothly for a long time now. Although we cannot interact with humans, we are able to live out our lives here in this village without any problems. There are a few who wish to see our freedom in the world beyond the village but the village leader dictates we stay here for our own safety. There have been few who ventured out and never came back so I don't know whether they lived or died," Teku said.

Kakashi couldn't believe that creatures that came from a fairytale or something existed in the world and lived among them. No one has ever mentioned an encounter with a ghoul before but he guessed he knew the reason why. "What I don't understand is how I became like you just because of a transplant," Kakashi said. "There have been cases of what we call half-ghouls. Former humans who received a part of a ghoul and have to live off human flesh. They possess all the powers a ghoul does but they may not be as powerful," he said.

Kakashi sank back in his chair, thinking of what he had just heard. One small transplant was enough to cause so many problems in his life and he thought of how he wished he would have just died there. "The person who attacked you, how did she look like?" he asked. "She had long red hair and glasses. She had shark looking teeth and was quite tall," he said as Teku rubbed his head. "Well there aren't that many of us but that seems to sound like Ayume."

"So who is this woman and why would she and her group even attack Konoha ninja in the first place?" "Ayume was part of a group that opposed the village law and wanted to run free in the world. They think we were a superior race and should rule over humans with our strength but knowing how small our numbers are, the village leader forbade us with intervening with the outside world. Guessed they got impatient and attacked your people."

"But why? If you existed peacefully for so long, why do this?" "Most of us just want to live out our lives but we're living off limited food supply. If we were allowed into the world, we could breed quickly and feast on people. We wouldn't have to hide the fact that we are monsters hiding in the shadows." Teku looked a little wishful about it but he sighed, "But I never wanted to bring harm to others. Given the choice, of course everyone would want to be a normal human and taste normal food but we have to accept who we are."

Teku removed a kunai from his belt and twirled it in his hand. "So, Hatake Kakashi wasn't it?" he asked as Kakashi nodded. After hearing all of that, he just wished he hadn't heard any of it. "We could use someone like you in the village. We don't have that many ninja but I think you'll be of some use. Since you have to stay here," he said as Kakashi blurted, "Wait, I can't leave?" "Of course you can't. If people find out we exist, they will come and slaughter us all."

Kakashi knew it was the truth but he couldn't imagine having to leave Obito and Rin, Minato sensei and team seven in Konoha without them knowing what happened to him. He closed his eyes, trying to let the revelation sink in. "I'm sorry Kakashi, but this is for the good of everyone," Teku said as Kakashi lifted his face. The eye no longer shone back at him and he felt like plain old Kakashi for a while. "I will stay," he said, his heart dropping as he felt himself betray his village. "Well, welcome home, brother," Teku said as he offered a hand which Kakashi took, shaking it as his heart bled.


	10. Ghouls and legends

**First week of second semester of university can be a crazy** **thing. I don't own the characters.**

Obito ran his finger across the thick tomes that lined the shelves of the Konoha Public Library and he sighed as he pulled out yet another book he thought might be useful in their investigation and added it to the already huge pile of books sitting on the table. Rin was pouring through everything she could get her hands on, her eyes starting to droop after spending the entire day in the library.

Obito, concerned with how it might affect her and the baby circled his hands around her and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Hey, we can get some rest now. We'll continue tomorrow morning," he whispered as he felt her shake underneath him. "There's no way I can stop now. Not after what I did to Kakashi. If only I had checked and see if he was actually fine, or even yet heard what he had to say about the transplant, he wouldn't be in this mess," she whispered as tears began to flow from her eyes. She furiously rubbed them away and turned to flip the page as Obito placed a hand on hers.

"Kakashi is my friend too, Rin! If anyone can handle themselves in this mess, it would be him. Have more faith in him Rin!" Obito snapped as Rin tried to stop crying. Obito pulled her against him and kissed her on the forehead, letting her release her sorrow into him as the dim lights shone around them. He was glad the librarian wasn't around to see them doing that in the library and he knew how nasty the old woman could get.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," a voice came from the shadows and both of the sprang apart as Minato walked into the room, a small smile on his face as he watched how they blushed. "You two are married. No need to be shy," he muttered as he slapped a file onto the table. "Details on the mission you undertook that day," he said as Obito opened the file, his eyes scanning the page as Rin shrieked, "Wait that's it!"

She snatched a book and flipped the pages before giving it to the Hokage, who pursed his lips as he read the content. "Myths of the Land of Fire?" Obito wondered as Minato looked grimly at him. "As I feared, they really exist," he said as he showed him the book. Obito's eyes widened as he saw what was depicted on the page. A human, or what looked like a human had red eyes and a beady pupil, tentacles waving behind it was depicted on it, the tentacles ripping into flesh and shoving it into their mouths.

"In ancient times, monsters known as ghouls were known to prowl on travellers in the forest. They yearn for human flesh and although they may look human, they need to feed on humans to survive. Hunted down, their numbers dwindle drastically and they eventually became extinct, going into legend as monsters that eat fellow humans," Obito read out loud as he scanned the book, his skin crawling as an image of a ghoul tearing into a human popped up.

"I had heard rumours of them emerging more these few years but I didn't expect them to make a bold move of striking ninja from our village," Minato said as he closed the book. "And what happened back then could have been a way for them to infiltrate our village?" Obito muttered. "Impossible. Kakashi would never betray us because he's changed. He's too loyal to the village in that sense," Rin said. "I trust him but I'm not sure if he is the type to leave it to us to solve it. I'm pretty sure he left for the ghoul village and might very well be there now," Minato said as Obito frowned.

"Well why don't we go save his sorry ass and bring him home?" Obito groaned as Minato muttered, "You don't even know where the village is so how do you expect to find him like that?" "Don't you have a tracking jutsu on all of us, sensei?" Rin asked as Minato shook his head. "I think I might be able to find him," he muttered as he raked his brain for any sort of tracking jutsu he had before saying, "Give me something belonging to Kakashi. I should be able to track him then." With that Obito dashed out of the building and into the night, flying across the rooftops as he prayed, "You better be alive when we find you, moron!"

…

Kakashi walked out with Teku into the outside room to find the guards missing. Teku cursed under his breath as he walked out, kunai in hand to meet with a blow in the face. Before he could react, a tentacle got him in the gut, causing him to scream in pain as he was lifted into the air and tossed into the wall. Kakashi quickly formed the hand seals on his hands, a ball of electricity forming in his hand already as the assailant walked forward.

"Tch don't make this harder for us already. Ever since Ayume got to you, there has been nothing but problems erupting around. Now be good and let us kill you," the man said as his tentacle waved menacingly at him. Teku groaned from where he was and Kakashi wondered how he was even still alive. "Oh no. I won't kill them. We have so few ninja in our village and its so hard to get people to think in the right way," the man hissed as he nicked Teku in the shoulder with the tip of his kagune.

"What do you want?" Kakashi growled as the man sneered. "You killed my fiancé so its only fair I kill the man who killed her, no?' he said as Kakashi charged at him. "Your people slaughtered my kind many years ago and now that we have grown in number, it's only a matter of time for them to come and hunt us down again. I'm not going to sit back and listen to that old goat telling us to stay hidden when we have all the power to take down another village," he growled as he managed to dodge Kakashi.

His kagune flashed as they made their way to Kakashi, who used a substitution jutsu and came up behind the assailant, kunai in hand as the man smiled, "Too slow." Kakashi was slammed into the wall and he groaned as he was sent through several of them, his back aching as he tried to stand up. "You may be a ninja but since you're a human, you're bound to have more limits than we do," he said as Kakashi's kagune began to come out from his back.

"Well well, your kagune looks so much like Ayume's," he said before he cracked his knuckles. "That makes me want to kill you even more," he snarled as he rushed at Kakashi, his hand balled in a fist as his kagune attacked Kakashi. Kakashi repelled the blows and started to perform the hand signs for his jutsu when he felt a stabbing pain in his arm. He yelled as blood sprayed from the wound, slowing down the seal formation as he yelled, "Mud wall!"

Several walls erupted from the ground, shielding him from the assailant and allowed him to make his way out. As he fled, the assailant walked over to Teku and dragged him to his feet, his blood staining the ground as he hissed, 'You will serve as a little prop for our propaganda." "The people wouldn't be stupid to follow you to their deaths, Ayato" Teku growled as the man laughed, "People listen to what they want to hear." With that he slammed a fist into Teku's gut and combines with the pain from his wound, the ninja lapsed in unconsciousness. As Ayato walked out, he smiled as he thought, "I will now create a world you would love, Ayume."

 **Hope you guys are still with me on this. Just having some problems writing it...**


	11. Rescue team

**As slow as it may seem to progress, I'm working on it. Also, I've released the final story to my maze runner series called 'Into the Cure' so if you have watched the latest movie Death Cure, check it out!**

Kakashi groaned as he clutched his side, the blood slowing down slightly due to the increased healing speed he had received from the Ghoul transplant but in the process, he had developed a slight dull ache at the pit in his stomach. "Not now," he muttered as he swallowed saliva, thinking of what to do now. He thought of how he could send his ninja dogs to deliver a message to Konoha but the risk of them being spotted was just too high. He didn't have any other way to pass a message of SOS to the Hokage so he had to make do with what he had.

He blended into the alleyways of the village, the streets empty of most people. When he reached the square, he noticed a large group of people had gathered around the platform in the middle, Ayato standing on it as he gestured at the men he had nearly killed lying on the ground. "You see that? Those of you who refuse to join us will end up like them! We have an intruder in the village who would do anything to end our race! Rise up and join the Aogiri Tree and we shall finally take our place as the leaders of this land!"

The villagers whispered among each other as one of the older men spoke up. "What of the Village Elder? What has he to say about this matter?" he asked as Ayato smirked. He snapped his fingers and one of his men brought a sack to him and Kakashi didn't have to be a genius to know what was inside. Ayato reached into it and pulled out the severed head of their village Elder, causing screams to erupt around them. "You monster! Why did you kill the Elder?" someone shouted as Ayato shook his head.

"He was leading us to our deaths. With the amount of inbreeding we have been doing and the lack food we posses, its only a matter of time we will die. We have to rise up and take charge of our own future. Don't tell me you don't want to see your children striving outside of this village?" Ayato shouted. "Don't you dare to bring our children into this. They didn't ask to be born as monsters," one woman snapped as Ayato grinned. "Did you just call yourself a monster?" he whispered as he lashed out with his Kagune, the tentacle piercing the woman as the crowd erupted into chaos.

As the body slid to the ground, Ayato laughed, dripping her blood into his mouth before wiping it. "Bad blood doesn't deserve to be passed on," he said as he turned to the prettified group. "If you don't agree to stand with us, you will be thrown into prison and given three days to think about what you want to do with your miserable lives. Those who stand with the Aogiri, get yourselves prepared. We take to the human villages in three days," Ayato said as his men shouted. "Oh boy," Kakashi groaned, praying that his team would get here in time. Until then, he had to sabotage their plan and save Teku and the others.

….

Obito and Rin stood in front of the Hokage's desk, both of them dressed for the mission ahead. No matter how much Obito tried to take his wife off the mission, she would demand she be put back in it or else Minato would be knocked into the next week. Knowing how guilty she felt about what happened with Kakashi, Minato relented. "If anything happens to the baby…" Obito moaned as she glared at him, "You think I'm not capable enough?" Clamping his mouth shut, Obito just tried his best to not try to knock her out and go on the mission himself.

"You two know what to do. Extract Kakashi and bring him home," Minato said. "We should be enough to deal with this right?" Rin asked. "You have an Anbu and you're an accomplished medic. From how I see you guys developed throughout the years to become such splendid ninja, you'll be fine," he said as he rose to his feet. "That is to say, when I come with you," he grinned as Obito waved, "Oh no. The Hokage isn't going to risk his life to a ninja of the Leaf Village."

"Kakashi is my student and I will bring him home. I owe as much to him for what he had done for Naruto," he said. He knew the risks but he just couldn't sit back and wait to see if Kakashi would be brought home. "Fine," Obito groaned when they heard the sound of shuffling behind the door. "Hey get off, Sakura! I can't hear what dad is saying!" Naruto groaned as Sakura snapped, "We can't listen on the Hokage!" "You're doing just that, Sasuke snorted when a yell erupted from behind them, "Did someone mention Kakashi?!"

The door flew open with a bang to reveal Gai standing at the entrance, the genin team in a heap in front of him as they tried to scramble up. "What are you doing here, Naruto?" Minato frowned as the boy held up a box lunch. "Lunch?" he asked as Minato cursed himself for forgetting and the fact that with their sensei missing and the Chunin exams in around a week, Team Seven was in a tight spot now. "How was your trip Gai?" Obito grinned as he shook hands with the man. "Brilliant! I never had so much good food in my life and I enjoyed training with the locals. Never knew they had such interesting taijutsu," he grinned as Obito face-palmed himself.

"Say where is Kakashi? I'm due to have our 100th challenge with him at Inchiraku Ramen tonight!" he shouted as Obito groaned, "Well as you can see, we're discussing what to do about that." Gai's eyes flitted between the three of them before turning to look at Kakashi's genin team. "Oh," he said before giving them a thumbs up. "Well have no fear. I'll save him!" he grinned. "You don't even know what has been going on for the past few weeks!" Rin said as Gai laughed loudly, "No worries! You can tell me all about it during the mission!'

"Dad! Let us come too!" Naruto shouted as Minato gaped at him. "Oh no you don't. Its an A-rank mission, possibly even an S-rank. I'm not risking you getting hurt or killed for your sensei," he said, even thought the idea of treating Kakashi like a disposable tool sent his stomach rolling. "We need him to train us more and after everything he has done for us as our sensei, its only natural for us to go find him right? Besides, we already went on an A-rank mission before, right?" Naruto grinned. "That was by accident!" Minato fumbled as Gai laughed, "That's the spirit! We leave now!"

"Hold up Gai! We can't just bring the genin on the mission!" Obito snapped as Rin looked at the children. "Are you sure you want to come with us?" she asked as Sakura nodded, Sasuke just scowling with his hands in his pockets. With the group assembled with him, Minato quickly told them all the details before making the final decision. "Hey dad! Can we be upgraded to Chunin if we come back alive?" Naruto piped as Minato yelled, "Absolutely not! No excuses!" The yellow haired boy made a face as guy wrapped an arm around his throat. "Make sure you take care of them," Minato warned Gai as the jonin wrapped an arm around the genin, a grin on his face as he saluted. "Roger," he said before dragging them out.

"Sensei," Rin said as Minato sighed, sitting into his chair. He hoped he had made the right choice when Rin took his hand, smiling as she said, "We'll bring Kakashi back. Don't worry," she said as she turned to face her husband. "Where do we have to go again? The west gate?" she asked as Obito kissed her on the temple. "I'm lucky to have such a strong willed wife like you," he grinned as Minato thought, "Just hope she doesn't become crazy like Kushina when your child is born."


	12. Arrival at the village

**Been a while but here it is! I don't own the characters.**

The small group of ninja made their way through the woods, flitting through the trees as fast as they could. The three genin didn't look worn out and managed to keep up their pace with the adults. Maybe it was due to the adrenaline rushing through their veins about the safety of their teacher. Obito prayed that they would get there in time and no one would get hurt anymore. In the worst case scenario, they had to pull out without Kakashi.

"Hey, Rin! Can you run that fast with that belly of yours? Isn't it heavy?" Naruto asked as Sakura slammed a fist into the boy's head. "Of course it's heavy! Rin-san is having a hard time with it but she just wants to bring Kakashi-sensei home," she said. "You didn't have to hit me like that!" Naruto whined as Sasuke just ignored his teammates. Gai motioned for them to take a break and Rin thankfully sank to the ground, her ankles a little swollen from running so much.

"Hey, you need me to carry you?" Obito asked although the thought of a huge belly pressing against his back made his stomach turn. "No need," Rin smiled as she drank some water before passing the flask to Obito. As he drank, Gai pulled out the map he had and roughly went through where they were. Obito sucked at using maps and often relied on his other Anbu friends to lead him to the location. Although compared to when he was a genin, he had improved a lot.

"About another 5 miles and we should reach Kagune village. We better make it there before sundown. I don't like the idea of being ambushed when we're out here,' Gai said as he rolled up the map and put it in his pouch. Despite having just returned from a long mission that morning, he looked pretty energetic. Naruto stood up and stretched, his arms creaking a little as he asked, "Say, if things get out of control, can I use my tail-beast mode?"

"Absolutely not! You barely even know how to control it!" Obito snapped as Naruto scowled. "I've been practicing with mum and I think I can at least use it properly now," he muttered but knowing how it could get out of hand, Obito thought it would be best to save it for last. But knowing how emotion would normally trigger it, it may happen anyway so he hoped they would just get Kakashi out of there.

"Naruto. I admire your spirit of youth but now isn't the time to be using your power. Save if until things get out of hand," Gai said as he gave the boy a thumbs up. Obito had to momentarily shield his eyes from the wink coming from Gai's teeth when Rin groaned a little. "Hey there. You sure you're okay continuing?" Obito asked as Rin smiled a little too viciously for his taste. "Yes Obito and unless you want me to give you a whack, you can stop asking," she said and he tried to wonder where did the sweet girl he first fell in love with had gone. Pregnancy really did change a person for the worst.

After about an hour break, the ninja took to the trees once more, their movement barely making any sound even though they were such a big group. The sun was beginning to go down but just then, Gai spotted the village in front of them and ordered them to halt. When they peeked through the bushes, they could see some men patrolling in front, kunai in their hands as they walked about. As they peered at them, one of the men lifted his nose into the air and sniffed it, drool coming from the side of his mouth slightly.

"Hey what is it?" his companion asked as he licked his lips. "Humans," he grinned as he turned to their direction. "So much for stealth," Obito growled as he began to do the hand signs for his jutsu. As the men approached, a large fireball erupted from behind the trees and made its way towards them. Both of them barely managed to dodge it when kunai came flying from the trees, one of them hitting one of them in the chest. The man crumpled to the ground as his comrade turned to call for backup.

Before he did so, Gai was behind him and he had stifled his scream as he plunged a kunai into his side. As he slumped to the ground, the group quickly dashed into the village, surprised to find it quite empty. "Damn we barely managed to get rid of the blood from earlier," Obito muttered. "They can smell us from afar so it wouldn't be long until they snuff us out," Rin said as Sakura squeaked, looking into the glass casings holding human flesh. Even Sasuke looked a little sick at it.

"Come on. We better find Kakashi and get out of here," Obito muttered when they heard a sound from an alleyway. They quickly duck into the shadows, all of them drawing their weapons as the person came closer. The sound of shuffling feet made Obito raise his weapon, ready to kill him when he recognized the face of Kakashi. "Holy shit!" he muttered when he saw the bloody wound on the man's side, the blood still fresh as he threw out his hands, "Get away from me!"

"We're here to get you out of here, idiot!" Rin snapped as Kakashi turned his gaze to her. "Please. You know what I would do to you," he muttered as his team raced to him. "Sensei! Your eye!" Sakura said as Obito looked at how much his friend had changed over the months. He looked unkempt and pale and his breathing was ragged. He did allow Rin to examine his wound but there wasn't much to examine since the wound had already closed up.

"You need to get out of here and warn the villages. This village is planning to attack them," Kakashi said as Gai snatched him on the shoulder. "You heard us. We're bringing you home!" "And then what? The ghouls would come after us and destroy everything. You have no idea what they're capable of. Combined with ninja skills and their ghoul's power, they're powerful, even for us," Kakashi said as he gasped, his throat constricting as he grabbed it. Naruto gave him some water which he gratefully drank before his body shook again.

"I can't be near you guys. I'm craving for human flesh now. I might just attack you at any moment," he gasped as he grasped his stomach, trying to stifle the growing hunger in him. It was getting out of control, his mind just wandering off to the smell wafting from his friends like they were a high-class buffet lineup. "Kakashi! Listen to me! We can get you out of here and you can eat some of the men we killed not long ago. They should suffice right?" Rin snapped as she slammed her hands onto his shoulders.

"Are you mad? He can't eat them," Obito gasped as Kakashi nodded. "Its possible but I've never done it before,' he muttered as he tried not to puke. His stomach was churning so much it felt like a volcano was about to spit lava into his gut. "Kakashi. Focus!" Rin said as she tried to channel some calm into her friend, his mind calming and becoming a little clearer as they heard voices coming from afar. "Go. Now!" Rin ordered as she withdrew her kunai and got ready to fight. The others did the same but as Obito did so, Gai shouted, "Obito! Go with Kakashi! He's in no fit condition to fight on his own now!" Gai yelled as ghouls started to come in.

"Finally! Fresh kill!" one of the ghouls grinned as his comrade snapped, "Ayato told us to keep them alive but would it hurt to just take a limb off one of them?" the comments were starting to make Obito's skin crawl as Rin shouted, "Run!" Her hands formed a jutsu and the earth around them rumbled as a wall separating the two of them from the group. "Rin!" Kakashi shouted as Obito snatched him by the armpit and dragged him off. "Come on. Let's go!" he snapped as he carried his friend out of the hellish place.


	13. Reinforcements

Kakashi thought he had to be dreaming when the scent of his friends came into his nose. He felt repulsed at the fact he could identify them so quickly but he didn't care as he moved along the wall, supporting himself as he clutched his gut. His wound may have healed but he felt pain nevertheless, the pain of wanting to tear into a fresh kill. At this point, he wouldn't have even cared who he would have to eat and that made him feel worse as he thought how things were going south in the village.

He followed the scent, his nose sniffing the air through his mask when he heard voices coming. "Gai?" he thought, thinking of his friend whom he hadn't seen is so long and thinking about him being there now made him feel a little more worried since Gai could go off the rails sometimes during missions. He made his way down the alley and when he finally saw them, his team included, he didn't know whether to call Obito and Gai morons from bringing kids and a pregnant woman for the mission when they heard ghouls coming.

Next thing he knew, he was being whisked away by Obito and the others shielded from view by a mud wall as they fought the enemy ninja. As he felt the urge to turn back and help them, Obito smacked him on the back of the head as he snapped, "What are you thinking, you blinking idiot?! Coming into enemy territory on your own when you can't even tell us about your damn problem! We've been worried sick about you for months!" "You shouldn't be here. This is my own burden to bear," he muttered as Obito snapped, "Shut it and follow your damn nose. We're trying to save you here!"

Kakashi would have muttered curse words at Obito if it weren't for the smell that reached his nose. It was the strange scent all ghouls seemed to have come from them and he could even tell that the person emitting the smell was pretty much dead. "Don't tell me you're serious about this," he muttered as Obito snapped, "Don't you dare go dying on us just because you chickened out about eating it. We won't judge. Just keep yourself alive!" he snapped as he deposited Kakashi to the ground. Kakashi saw the leg poking out of the trees and he heard Obito turn away to give him privacy.

"You regretted us coming here? Then get your strength back and rain hell on those people who turned you into a monster," Obito said as Kakashi took out his kunai and cut away the flesh. His brain had gone into survival mode and he tore into the flesh, blood splashing on his face as he ate. He could feel Obito flinching from the noises he was making but he was grateful for the man giving him the space he needed.

"May I ask why did you bring your pregnant wife and three genin who have exams next week on this mission?" he demanded as Obito shrugged. "You know how Rin can get when you don't meet her demands. Especially with her being pregnant…" he muttered and Kakashi just thanked Kami for not having a wife when they heard a boom in the distance. "I take that as our signal to go?" Obito asked as Kakashi moved at lightning speed, his hands already forming the seals for his jutsu as he shouted, "Chidori!" His hand tore through the chest of the first man he saw, blood flying into the air as the man dropped without a scream.

Obito activated his Sharingan and began to form hand seals for his jutsu as well when he saw the others being rounded up. "If you want your fellow leaf ninja to die a gruesome death, I suggest you give yourself up, Hatake Kakashi!" Ayato shouted in the distance as Obito clicked his tongue. 'If he dares to lay a hand on Rin," he growled when Kakashi snapped, "Worry about that later. I'm going to bring the battle to him." "Are you nuts? You know what these guys are capable off with their weird powers!" "Better than letting the others get hurt!" Kakashi looked around, trying to see where the others are when an idea came to his head.

"Obito, go find the prison of this village. It's around the outskirts of the north side of the village. There should be some people over there willing to help us," he said as Obito's eyes widened, "Are you stupid? They could kill me for all I know!" "They won't. Just mention my name and they'll come and help. Also, if we can get some reinforcements, it would be very helpful!" "So helpful," he muttered as Kakashi formed the handseals as he slammed his hand into the ground. "Summoning jutsu!" he yelled as Pakkun appeared in front of him, his nose sniffing the air as he looked at Kakashi.

"Is it just me or you smell funny, Kakashi?" he wondered as Kakashi said, "Go to the Hokage and tell him to bring some reinforcements." "Roger that!" he said as he shot off, leaving both of the ninja to watch him leave. "Got it, Obito?" Kakashi asked as Obito scowled, "Whatever." He leaped down and leaped through the rooftops, his form becoming a blur as Kakashi made his way to the village square. He saw his genin tied together on a pole, Naruto, and Sasuke glaring daggers at each other as they snapped about who got them captured while the adults were bound to separated poles.

"Release us immediately," Rin snarled as Ayato laughed, "As if we would do that. You're fresh meat and we could use some juicy meat." Some of the ghouls around them laughed at the comment while Rin continued to glare at them. Ayato cocked his head to the side as he examined Rin with his eyes, moving from her face before moving to her enlarged belly. "I wonder what would happen if we experiment with a human child," he grinned as Rin snarled, "Don't you dare touch my baby."

Gai just leaned on his pole, his eyes looking around him before he finally found Kakashi standing on the roof. Kakashi nodded as he formed his jutsu and darted through the crowd towards Ayato, who laughed as he deflected Chidori with his kagune. "No cheating," he growled as he used his kagune to whack Kakashi across the compound. Kakashi managed to summon his own and perched himself on the wall, his kagune hardening as they flailed in the air. Some of the ghouls stared in fear when they realized what was happening.

"You did not commit cannibalism…" Ayato muttered as Kakashi said, "A man needs to do what he has to do to survive." As his kagune sharpened and pointed themselves towards Ayato, the man grinned as he spread his arms, "Don't think you can defeat me just because your kagune got stronger." His own kagune sharpened as he brought it to Rin's arm and sliced it, making her clench her teeth as blood began to draw.

Some of the ghouls began to stamp their feet and drool as the smell of fresh blood reached their noses. Ayato slashed guy across the side and the man tried his best not to yell in pain as his shirt began to soak with blood. "You have a whole crowd of hungry ghouls here. Unless you beat me, your allies are going to become dinner for us," he grinned as Kakashi shouted, "You monster!" As he darted at him, Ayato laughed as he blocked his kagune against Kakashi's as he grinned, "Funny. Because you are the monster."


	14. Last battle

**I'm back and alive and kicking guys! Got a little motivation to write a battle scene after watching SAO (despite all the negative reviews I heard about it, I thought it was pretty good with great music and fight scenes, although I have to disagree with the romance). I don't own the characters.**

Kakashi lunged at Ayato, his Kagune sharpened to the tips as he aimed for his heart. He was filled with rage and anger now, just wanting to end the person in front of him. Seeing his friends and genin get injured, nothing made him more pissed. "That's right. Let the bloodlust rule over you like the monster you are," Ayato crowed in glee as he deflected each blow with ease, his hands in his pockets. He laughed as he stepped back, Kakashi missing this time and he elbowed him in the back as he came past. Kakashi groaned as he fell to the ground as Ayato stabbed him in the back, over and over.

"Ah, this is good. Let the pain overcome you and turn you into a raging beast! You would like that, huh? You want to become a monster like me?! Huh! Huh?!" Ayato grinned as his Kagune penetrated flesh over and over, the tentacles becoming a blur as Ayato cackled. "Kakashi!" Rin shouted as Kakashi tried his best not to scream, but he was failing miserably. As he lay there, unable to escape the painful experience, images began to flash in his mind that made him cry out. Images of him piercing Rin's heart as a genin, her lips forming his name as she fell dead into his arms. Him and Obito fighting to the death, a Ninja War in the works as they fought on opposite sides. Gai lying on the ground, unable to move due to the injuries he sustained. Sasuke walking into the distance, his back facing Naruto as the latter cried his name. sakura standing at the gates of Konoha, tears in her eyes as she whispered, "Please. Bring Sasuke home!"

"No… No…" Kakashi whispered, the images making his blood run cold. What were those images? They felt so real… were real? No, impossible. Rin was here, Gai was still able to move… why? Why was he thinking this kind of things? "You could have been so much more if you had just accepted your fate. Instead, you run like a coward back into the arms of your fellow Leaf ninja. Next thing you know, you may end you killing them for your next meal. Say, how does it feel to pierce your best friend's heart? Does it feel good? The hand penetrating soft flash, something pulsing dying within seconds on impact? It feels so good, eh?" Ayato crowed as Kakashi weakly formed the hand signs.

"I will never hurt my friends. I… would rather die than do that," he growled as lightning formed a ball in his hands. "Chi… chidori," he groaned as he swung at Ayato, who laughed as he used his Kagune to knock Kakashi by the hand. Kakashi screamed as his hand went flying onto the road, blood spurting from his wound as he cradled it. "Now that you can't form jutsu anymore…" Ayato grinned as he positioned his Kagune above his head. "This is for my love. For the person who spawned you," he whispered but before it could reach him, Kakashi heard a yell, "Don't lay a finger on my best friend!"

"Obito?!" Kakashi blurted as the Uchiha stood on the roof, a grin on his face as a band of ninja gathered behind him. "Brought the back up you needed," he grinned as Teku stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot as he lofted his Kagune in the air. "Stand down, Ayato. You've lost," he growled as his men shot into the street, dismembering all members of Ayato's group. The place was turned into a battlefield, blood, and limbs flying into the air as men attacked each other. Kagune dug into each other, weapons of all kinds flying around as people tried to kill each other. Kakashi watched in awe as some of them used their Kagune with such grace it was almost beautiful as it was lethal.

"You dare turn your blades against your own brothers?" Ayato scowled as he removed a kunai from his belt. "When they turn into renegades, yes," Teku said as he leaped from the roof, spinning as his Kagune formed into a drill, ready to pierce Ayato. Ayato barely managed to deflect it as he raised his kagune, hissing as he broke a little. Both began to fight on the stage, ignoring the bleeding ninja in front of them. "Kakashi," Obito muttered as he freed the others, letting Rin take over with the healing process. "You kids stay here. Gai and I will handle this," Obito said as Naruto grinned, "Don't worry. I can help out."

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" he shouted as many Naruto's filled the air, all of them leaping onto stunned ninja, making them go off course as they tried to whack him from their heads. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and began to hurl shuriken at the ghouls, some of them falling as Obito and Gai leaped into the fray. Soon, the air was filled with the smell of roasting flesh and the sound of bones breaking as the Konoha ninja battled with them. "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura whispered as Rin held her hands over Kakashi's wound. "Sakura, lend me some of your strength," Rin said as her hands began to glow a soft green.

Kakashi groaned as the wound slowly closed up, bones and muscle knitting back together as the girls worked. "Btw Kakashi, you can reattach your arm if you feel like it! One of the perks of being a ghoul!" Khan shouted from afar. Sakura gingerly picked up her sensei's severed hand and held it to where it was, the flesh knitting back as she attached it. She gave a small squeak as Kakashi flexed it, his hand working just fine as he tried to stand up.

"Stay down, Kakashi. You're still torn up," Rin demanded as he placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes were a little wild as he looked at her, his mouth forming words of apology for something he hadn't done. "Kakashi, you would never hurt any of us, ok? So get your butt up and defeat that idiot over there," Rin said as she gave his hand a small squeeze. "We'll cover you," she said as she started to form hand signs, Sakura readying her weapons as Kakashi turned to face Ayato, who was getting cornered by Teku.

"Surrender," Teku said as Ayato growled, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Never," he growled as Kakashi walked towards them, his Kagune sharpening as he approached. "So, the prodigal son returns," Ayato growled as Kakashi whispered, "Forgive me." With that, his Kagune morphed into something that resembled a large sword, the tip shining as it pierced Ayato's heart. He barely had time to gasp as it went through his body, blood spurting against the wall as he slumped, choking on his own blood.

"Ayume… Ayume…" he whispered as Teku stepped over him, hand over his heart as he said, "Rest now, brother." "As if I ever was a brother to any of you… none of you believed in my ideas so I had no choice but to force them upon you," Ayato gurgled as his lungs began to cave in. "Only… Ayume understood me. She made me feel welcomed with my ideals. She accepted me for who I am. That's why I would do anything for her. But I guess I failed now… haven't I?" he whispered as he coughed, groaning as he turned to Kakashi. "You know what to do," he whispered as Kakashi position his hand above his heart where the hole tore through his chest.

"Kakashi…" Teku muttered as Ayato grinned, "Do it. I have nothing to live for anyway." With that, Kakashi drove his fist into his chest and yanked out Ayato's heart. The ninja gasped for the last time before he slumped dead against the wall, his face slack in peace as the battle around them raged. "Ayato is dead! All of you, stand down!" Teku shouted as the ninja started to drop their weapons and raised their hands in surrender. As people celebrated over their victory, Kakashi stared at his bloody hand, images of him piercing Rin through the heart haunting his mind.


	15. Epilogue

**At last, this story has come to an end. Thank you for sticking around with me all this time even as I procrastinated so much on it. Thank you for the wonderful reviews, especially Prescripto13, who had reviewed almost all of the chapters. I always feel so happy when people write about how they like the story. Thank you to all who supported this story! Now, may I present to you the final chapter of Torn from Within. I don't own the characters.**

The square that had been a battlefield a few months ago was now filled with ninja watching as the Hokage and new village chief sat on the raised dais, a scroll rolled open on the table. Minato scanned the pages of the scroll, going through it one last time before standing up, the chair squeaking as he raised a hand. "Do I have any objections?" he asked from his committee of advisors. No one said anything and instead shook their heads whilst the Kagune Village side did the same. Minato smiled as he walked to the center of the dais, followed by Teku, the new chief of the village and raised his hand. "I welcome you to the Land of Fire, Teku-sama," Minato said as Teku nodded, "Thank you for the honor, Hokage-sama."

The crowd assembled erupted with cheers as confetti rained from the air, the people of the village celebrating their long isolation from the land as they were reunited with it. Minato smiled as his aide rolled the scroll and handed it to him. "Let this bring Kagune Village into a new era of peace with Konoha and the Land of Fire. I welcome you to our family!" Minato said as he and Teku raised their hands in the air, the crowd clapping as they shook hands. Teku looked ready to cry as he said from the corner of his mouth, "I never thought I would the day come where we could return to the land of Fire."

"You're valuable to us, despite your gifts being dangerous. We could use skilled ninja such as yourselves," Minato said as he smiled to the crowd, Kushina, and Naruto somewhere at the side with the family of the other higher-ups, Kushina with a smile on her face and Naruto gave him a thumbs up. Minato sighed, glad that although his son failed to pass the Chunin exams, he was alright since there had been an uprising by the Hidden Village in the Sand lead by Orochimaru. That was another problem he needed to attend to once this was finished.

"Say, Kakashi isn't here today with his friends?" Teku asked. Kakashi's predicament had finally come to the light so once he had returned from the mission, Minato set out to find a suitable organ donor for him, which wasn't an easy task since not many ninja liked the idea of donating their organs. Finally, they managed to find one and Kakashi were scheduled to go under the knife that day. He had been sad about missing such an important event but regardless of that, he sent his regards to Teku and the others.

"Man, he said he was going to show us how to deal with real missions! I can't wait to get out of the village and explore the world outside!" Kahn smiled, his comrades nodding in agreement about it. This would be the first time they would exit the village without having to fear for their lives, although the people of the land were still a bit dubious about finding out of their existence. Still, as long as they promised not to eat anyone, they're off the hook. "I pray that Kakashi would be able to live a normal life soon," Teku said as Minato nodded, wishing all the best to Kakashi from his heart.

…

Kakashi lay in his hospital bed, his head deep into Icha Icha Paradise. A slight blush was on his cheeks as he got to a particularly erotic scene when he heard a slight cough from the corner of the room. "Do you really have to read this sort of stuff?' Rin groaned as she set up the equipment to bring him to the operating theatre. "Well, I am single so no harm done trying to fantasize about it," Kakashi smiled from behind his mask, only to get a glare from Rin. "Guys…" she sighed as she cradled her belly, a slight look of pain on her face. "Are you sure you want to operate on me when your baby is due weeks away?" Kakashi said as she nodded. "I got you into this mess in the first place, so it's my duty to set things right. Obito doesn't mind so…" she finished her sentence by poking a needle into his arm, making him flinch a little.

"Now just relax and you should be asleep in around 10 minutes," Rin said as she rested a hand on his. Kakashi felt the warmth spread through his body and he felt himself slowly relaxing, the wind ruffling his hair as the nurses entered and began to wheel him to the operating theatre. The others were busy with their missions but he could feel their prayers in his heart, wishing for him a steady recovery to the road of normality. "Rin, do me a favor and don't remove my mask," Kakashi whispered, earning some glares from the nurses, who had clearly been hoping to get a glimpse of his mysterious face during the operation. "Will do," Rin smiled and Kakashi drifted off into a dream where he was standing in a field of red flowers.

"Where am I?" he thought as he heard a laugh coming from one end. It had been a while since he heard her and Ayume walked towards him, her hands clasped behind her back as she smiled, her dress pure white. "So, you're finally going to try and become a human again?" she said as he nodded. "I've spent enough time with your curse." "Oh, you call it a curse? I was born with it and although I considered it a curse, it brought me to Ayato." She kicked the flowers with the end of her barefoot, letting some petals fly into the air.

"I was thirsty for blood and him for the freedom of the village. So we did everything we could to free ourselves from the system but look where that got us," she smiled a little savagely. "But I never regretted being born a ghoul. Or meeting Ayato. If I could say what was my biggest blessing, it would be those two," she said as she faced Kakashi one last time. He thought she looked almost as sweet and innocent as a normal 20-year-old but he knew how she could be a ruthless killer. Maybe she was human somewhere inside. "Well, if you die during the operation, no hard feelings?" she grinned as he bowed his head. "I won't die so easily," he said as she winked, "Then this is goodbye." With that, all the flowers in the field exploded into red but as they fell around him, they turned into white.

...

"Wow, that's your third bowl already," Obito gaped as Kakashi slurped down the bowl of ramen as he held it out. "Another," he said as the stall owner grinned, "Got it!" Kakashi had managed to recover his ability to digest human food and he had been eating like crazy ever since as though he might regain his cannibalism tendencies at any minute. Gai and Obito treated him to a meal after his discharge from the hospital but as they saw the food bowls piling, they began to wonder if it was a good idea. "Wah! Thanks for the meal, Obito! Gai-sensei!" Naruto grinned from the corner. He had insisted to come along since they were going to Inchiraku Ramen and since he had done well on the mission, they thought it wouldn't do any harm to let him have a bowl or two until they realized he would easily have three bowls of ramen.

"How's Rin doing?" Kakashi asked as Obito scratched his head. Rin had been in labor a few days ago and had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. Obito had handled the child like he was carrying glass and Kakashi had to take over for a bit, although he didn't do that well himself. Rin held the baby close to her chest, letting the child go to sleep as both of them rested after a long day. "She's fine. Should be able to go home in a few days," Obito said as he ran his hand through his hair, a habit he had gained after watching Rin go into labor and nearly driving him up the wall. "Don't worry, Obito! You're a brave and good man so you should be able to handle a child with ease!" Gai grinned as he smacked a hand on Obito's shoulder, nearly making him spit out the water in his mouth.

Kakashi chuckled as he drank his water, careful not to reveal his face to his student as he set his chopsticks down. "Thanks for the meal," Kakashi and Naruto said as they walked out of the stall, Obito and Gai having much lighter wallets than before as they walked to the crossroads of the village. Naruto and Kakashi walked to where the rest of Team Seven were while Obito and Gai went their separate ways. Before Obito went off, he pulled Kakashi to the corner and told him he had signed up to be a genin leader after retiring from the Anbu. Kakashi had been happy with that since it would mean Rin didn't have to worry about how likely Obito would be able to come home. "Sensei! What are we going to do today?" Naruto grinned as Kakashi ruffled his hair. "Let's see what life tells us to do," he smiled, gazing at the sky as a new day began for him as a human once more.

 **Thank you for reading this. Ave atque vale and until we meet again, sayonnara.**


End file.
